For as long as I can remember, I’ve only had one goal: survival. It’s what I know. There is no future beyond making it through another night and getting my hands on as much money as possible, by any means necessary. Pride and dignity are things I can’t afford.

It’s been the worst year yet—and not because I live on the streets. That’s nothing compared to being separated from my little girl. But I do what I can, and I send any money I make for her care. I can only hope she remembers me. I’m past desperate, needing her to know how much I love her and that I’ve done everything in my power to make it back to her.

The day I stepped off the bus in Seattle, I saw him. Adrian appeared at a time I most needed a helping hand, and his habit of rescuing strays became my salvation. He gave me hope. He taught me to dream about something I’d never dared to wish for.

A home.(All novels taking place in Camassia Cove are standalone.)

You know I was really skeptical about a new Cara Dee novel so soon after Noah. It wasn’t something I really enjoyed and I was disappointed in the author. Well, she literally came back and this is one of my favorite books of 2016. It was amazing from start to finish. I wanted it to be super longer, and she writes her characters and stories to be so comforting to me. I always love classify her as realistic fiction, but her character are relatable. I think she did a fantastic job with the characters, the story, setting and the tone of the story. Of course I had tears 5% into the story. I knew once I started that I wasn’t going to be able to stop, and it was definitely going to leave the lump in your throat in certain areas.

I haven’t loved a character so much from this author since Cam & Austin from Aftermath, but Dominic & Teach were so beautifully raw, and honest that I connected immediately.She was able to turn Dominic into someone who can look forward to trusting someone. He had no family who he can trust, he had no one to show him things. I get emotional when reading books like these but they turn out to be some of my favorites. I root for the underdog and for guys like Dominic who on all fronts life looks like it won’t turn out much, but somehow they overcome and beat the odds. I have a special place in my heart for people like Billy. People who help instead of ignore. Billy wasn’t able to do much for the homeless youths in Philly, but he was able to offer them a little place to sleep and something small to eat. He was bluntly honest, and crass but he was the only father Dominic was able to have. Dominic’s only goal throughout most of the book is to take care of his daughter. The daughter he hasn’t seen in a year, and who he sends money to by degrading his body. It takes a strong person to step into this world without being addicted to things to cope with the pain and escape into another world so you won’t have to deal with it. He’s resilient and pushes his self extremely hard to do whatever he needs to do in order to make it to Thea. In turn he hadn’t realized he just found his home after 24 years of living.

Meeting Adrian was destined in my mind. I loved EVERYTHING about him. I wish it was a dual pov. It would have made it 5x more better, but I was happy with the finished product. I would have loved for some more background information on him. He might be one of the most selfless characters that I’ve ever read before. Just seeing these two guys navigate this thing was beautiful. I enjoyed Dom being unsure of his feelings for Adrian, and I loved Adrian teaching Dom all these new things. It isn’t a pretty love story. Both guys have to wade through rough waters just to make it on the other side. Through tears, bouts of miscommunication, and a death it’s a really good story. I will definitely be looking for more of this series. I cannot wait, and I definitely see myself re-reading this again throughout the year. Congrats Cara, this is a winner!!!

About Cara Dee

here aren’t many things better than picking up my Kindle and getting completely sucked into a whole new world—where words morph into images and characters’ moods suddenly reflect my own. Aside from good plot and writing, for me, it boils down to relatable characters.

As a writer, I’m not finished until the men and women in my books come to life, until I can see them as real people, until I can connect with them. Which means I write what I want to read: everyday heroes and heroines who have the same struggles we all do. They evolve, have flaws, make mistakes and amends, learn, and find the endings they fight for.

Those are the characters who take the readers on a journey away from work, laundry, grocery shopping, and to-do lists.

When I’m not writing, researching, or brainstorming, I’m either planning my next trip (never-ending bucket list!), reading, watching hockey, or spending time with family and friends